Last week I popped down to Bristol to record the commentary (or voice over if you prefer) for Orangutan Diary 2. This is usually the first time I get to see the programs edited together. I don’t really get to watch the footage though as I have to concentrate on what I’m reading. I love doing comm records. There is so much you can do with your voice to change the emotion or feel of a line. As you can see in the picture I use my hands a lot. Sounds strange, but it really helps you put emphasis at the right time in the right way. You shouldn’t notice voice over if it is done well. When I listen back to the first voice over I did years ago, I cringe over how bad it was. It sounds like I am reading (which is exactly what I am doing but it shouldn’t sound like that!). Next time your watching telly listen out for the voice overs (even on adverts/commercials). The better ones will be the ones where you can hardly tell that the person is speaking after the event you see in picture. Its like story telling which I’m practicing with my niece and nephews. Anyway, the new series is due to be broadcast in March and it looks (and hopefully sounds) great!